Professional Experience

Hired in 2019 as the Safety and Security Specialist at WINK News. FBI Special Agent 1996-2017 serving in Atlanta, New York, FBI HQ and Quantico, VA. Served in the Navy, both on active duty and the reserve, retiring as a Commander in 2011.

News Philosophy

Work to help the citizens of SWFL keep their family, home, cyber, and finances safe and secure.

Hobbies & Interests

Flying, fishing & luge.

Education

Masters in Homeland Security from American Military University, Bachelors in Communications from the University of Miami.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

The people, along with the weather, and no DC traffic!

Hometown

Poughkeepsie, NY.

Smartphone Safety

Verizon will launch a data plan aimed at children Thursday. The “Just Kids” plan includes safety features and parental controls, but many parents are still concerned about the risks it could bring to their children. WINK News Safety & Security expert Rich Kolko discussed what you need to consider before giving your child a smartphone. […]

Jussie Smollett leaves court. (Credit: CBS News)

Why did prosecutors drop the charges against Jussie Smollett?

Prosecutors dropped charges against Jussie Smollett after police said the “Empire” actor staged a hate crime attack. Rich Kolko, WINK News safety and security specialist, sat down with a former state prosecutor to try and answer the question on a lot of peoples’ minds: Why?

Are you at risk? FEMA data spill exposes 3 million people

Social security numbers, banking information and home addresses, FEMA is the agency supposed to help when disaster strikes. But the agency recently put millions of people at risk. A data spill with an unknown contractor exposed personal data from 3 million people. MORE: FEMA: Statement on major privacy incident  If you’re a victim of hurricanes […]

How to look up sexual predators in your neighborhood

Keeping your children safe from sexual predators who could offend again. The best way to know if a sexual predator is in your neighborhood is to look it up online. “Check the registry to see who’s around,” said Scott Johnson, a forensic psychologist. “But also keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. Some adult or […]

Lee County school district hosts event to keep kids safe online

The Lee County school district wants to arm parents with knowledge, so they can protect their kids online. Six to nine hours — that’s how long teenagers are spending glued to their phones or computer screens daily. Lee County Public School is hosting a seminar to teach parents about different social media platforms at Cape […]

How to stop your smart phone from tracking you

It’s no secret, people love their smart phones. And for iPhones and Androids, they come with a pre-installed app that tracks your location. But there’s more. Every phone, app and website that you use comes with a privacy policy. But more than 90 percent of phone users don’t read the contents. In the park at […]

What to do in a virtual kidnapping situation. (Credit: WINK News)

What are the red flags of a virtual kidnappings?

There are only about 100 to 200 non-family kidnappings a year in the United States. I am here to tell you, placing a call with the victim screaming in the background is not a typical way for a kidnapper to demand ransom. Some more red flags are if the call comes from a number you […]

Romance Scam: Online imposters break hearts and bank accounts

A security alert for people looking for love. Scammers are pretending to put on a uniform to pull at your heartstrings, and ultimately get their hands on your money. The scammers are posing as military and using dating apps to lure lonely people into relationships. Once they build up your trust they’ll ask for money.  […]

Former CIA director led panel on cyber threats at NaplesNEXT

Enhancing understanding and building a better future are just two of the many concepts behind the NaplesNEXT Ideas Festival. An event that has gathered experts and innovators from all different fields to share their ideas. One expert focused on cyber threats that continue to invade our country. WINK News spoke to John Brennan, former CIA […]

FBI Tampa division counters terrorism in Southwest Florida

There are 5,000 open terrorism cases in the United States. WINK News looked at whether Southwest Florida has the resources necessary to investigate terrorism. The short answer — yes. Southwest Florida is home to its own FBI joint terrorism task force. “We are always looking for threats across all of the territories that the FBI […]